Roller bearing mounting for drawers and the like



1941- s. G. woeuus ROLLER BEARING MOUNTING FOR DRAWERS AND THE LIKEFiled June 22, 1940 a t. I- w Patented Get. 14, 1941 UNETED rss 1".QFFlCE ROLLER BEARING MOUNTING non DRAWERS AND THE LIKE ApplicationJune 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,880

Claims.

My invention relates to a roller bearing mounting which, althoughadaptable to other uses, is more especially adapted for use inconnection with the metal drawers of metal cabinets employed in domestickitchens and has for its object the provision of an easily operableantifriction bearing for the cabinet drawers as well as a readilyadjustable bearing adapted to compensate for'any undue play between thedrawers and the cabinet walls.

The invention also for its object the provision of a thrust bearingwhichmay be regulated and the desired amount of tension on the drawerobtained for the purpose of controlling the movement of the drawer.

The object and advantages of my invention will all be readilycomprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one wall of acabinet provided with my improved bearing and a portion of a drawer andtrackway; the forward end of the drawer and trackway being broken awayto disclose'the bearmg. a

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the cabinet side wall anddrawer guideway and bearing with drawer removed.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet side wallwith the roller bearing and one side of a drawer.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

My invention relates to a bearingand guideway for the metal drawers ofsheet metal cabinets; and although the invention is especially designedfor kitchen cabinets, it is apparent that the invention is adaptable toother uses.

In the particular exempliflcation the forward portion of one side wallof a cabinet is shown at Ill, made of sheet metal and bent into theboxlike or column forming portion H. Disposed horizontally on the innerside of the wall If! is a bearing holding track or guideway 12consisting of a preshaped metal strip formed with a flange l3 along itslower longitudinal margin and with a longitudinally extending shoulderportion M at a slight distance from the upper longitudinal edge of thestrip. The forward end of the strip is shown secured to the columnportion of the cabinet by means of screws If); it being understood thatthe rear end of the strip or trackway is also secured in place so as tomaintain the trackway in horizontal position.

ficiently spaced apart to provide a channel therebetweenfor reception ofthe roller bearing and the guideway which is attached to the drawer, aswillbe hereinafter described.

The track forming strip I2 at a predetermined distance from its forwardend preferably is provided with vertically spaced partially severedportions which are bent inwardly toward the rear side of the track stripto provide a pair of off-set tongues l5, 16 whereby the rear end of thebearing carrying metal plate I1 is clamped in place as shown in Figure3; and the forward end of the track strip [2 is provided with an openingl8 for passage of the roller bearing l9 therethrougha The roller bearingI9 is of cup-shape and .interiorly provided with a race-way 2-9 for theball-bearings 21 which are held in place by the pin 22 provided at itsouter end with a head while the inner end is reduced and secured to themetal plate ll; the bottom or inner vertical face of the cup-shapebearing 1 9 being provided with a hole somewhat larger'than the head ofthe pin 22 so as to be out of frictional engagement with the pin .22.

The metal plate I1, adjacent its inner end, is provided with atransverse crimp 24 to provide a fulcrum point. for the metal platewhereby the forward or roller carrying end of the metalplate is normallyforced away from the track member l2; while the forward end of the metalplate a short distance from the roller bearing has an opening punchedtherein so as to leave sufficient metal, as at 25,.to effectscrew-threaded relation with the set-screw '26 which loosely extendsthrough a hole in the track member I2. As is apparent fromthevconstruction shown in Figure 3, the forward end of metal plate llmay be positioned close to or farther away from the track member l2 uponsuitable rotation of set-screw 26 and thereby control the extent towhich the roller bearing I9 extendsthrough the track member and henceinto lateral relation with the vertical face of the channeled guidestrip 21 secured lengthwisely on the side wall 28 of the drawer 29.

The guide strip 2! is shown provided with an outwardly disposedfiange-3ll at its lower longitudinal edge which extends beneath thebottom of the'drawer 29 and is secured thereto; and this strip, slightlyremoved from its upper-longitudinal edge, is channeled outwardly asshown at 3| to have sliding engagement with the top of the rollerbearing IS; the channeled portion 3| fitting between the top of theroller bearing IS The lower flange l3 and the shoulder M are sufandtheoutwardly disposed corrugation or shoulder Id of the track member I2,see Figures 1 and 4, so as to support the forward end of the drawer onthe roller bearing l9 and provide a non-friction sliding relationbetween the drawer and the cabinet walls with the Weight of the slidingdrawer transmitted to the roller bearing.

In order to prevent vertical shifting movement of the forward or rollercarrying end of the plate I1, I prefer to flange the upper and lowerlongitudinal edges of the plate I! as shown at 32 with the flanges inoverlapping relation with the outwardly disposed portions of the trackmember [2, see Figure 4.

With the guide member 2! flanged at its bottom and the flange 30 securedto the bottom of,

the drawer 29, it will be noted that smooth uninterrupted surfaces arepresented toward the track member [2 and to the roller bearing I9 andeasy operation of the drawer is provided.

In the event of too great lateral play between the sides of the drawerand the side walls of the cabinet, the spaced relation between theroller carrying plate I! and the track member l2 may be altered byproperly screwing the set-screw 26 so as to cause the roller l9 to bemoved out- Wardly toward the side of the drawer; the flat surface of theroller bearing l9 and enlarged head of pin 22 thus constituting a thrusthearing adapted to take up the lateral play of the drawer. It it alsoapparent that the freedom of sliding movement of the drawer may thus beregulated in keeping with the wishes of the user; the axial depth of theroller being such that more or less in and out movement of the bearingmay be had and still present sufficient bearing surface for thechanneled or shouldered Portion 3| of the drawer guide strip 21'.

The upper surface of the corrugation or shoulder portion H! of the trackmember 2 is shown with an upwardly disposed offset portion 33 (seeFigures 1 and 2) adapted to engage a suitable struck-up lug or pin 34 onthe rear end of the guide member 21 which prevent the drawer being drawncompletely out of the opening in the cabinet; and in order to preventthe drawer, when pushed inwardly, from making forcible contact with therear wall of the metal cabinet, I prefer to provide the channel portionof the track member [2 with a struck-up portion 35 disposed in the pathof the channeled portion 3| of the guide member 21 and thereby preventfurther inward movement of the drawer.

I have shown what I believe to be the simplest embodiment of myinvention which I have described in terms employed for purposes ofdescription and not as terms of limitation, as structural modificationsmay be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my inven tionas defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A roller bearing mounting for horizontally slidable drawerscomprising an elongated channeled track member adapted to be secured tothe side wall of a drawer opening and provided with an opening in thechannel portion; a plate secured to the rear side of the track memberand provided with a roller bearing adapted to extend through the openingin the track member; ad-

justable means whereby said plate may be latslidable drawers comprisingan elongated channeled track member, the channel adjacent the forwardend of the member being provided with an opening; an elongated rollercarrying member secured at one end to the rear side of the track memberwhile the roller carrying end of the member is disposed adjacent theopening in the track member to permit the roller to extend through saidopening; regulable means disposed through the track member and havingadjustable relation with the roller carrying member whereby the positionof the roller relative to the outer side of the track member may becontrolled.

3. A roller bearing mounting for a horizontally slidable drawercomprising a track member provided with an opening and adapted to besecured to the side wall of a drawer opening; an elongated platearranged on the rear side of said track member with one end of the platesecured to said track member while the other end of the plate isprovided with a roller bearing adapted to extend through said opening inthe track member; means whereby the roller carrying end of said plate isnormally held in spaced relation with the rear side of the track member;and regulable means disposed through the track member and havingcontrollable relation with said plate whereby the position of the rollerhearing relative to said opening in the track member may be laterallyadjusted.

4. An antifriction bearing for a horizontally slidable drawer comprisingan elongated channeled track member provided with an opening; a metalplate provided on its side adjacent its forward end with a verticallyarranged cupshape roller adapted to pass through said opening while theother end of the plate is secured to the rear side of the track member,the longitudinal edges of the plate being flanged and arranged inoverlapping relation with angularly disposed surfaces on the rear sideof the track member; regulable means whereby the lateral relationbetween the roller carrying end of said plate and the rear side of saidtrack member may be controlled; and an elongated guide member adapted tobe secured to the side wall of a drawer and formed to ride in thechannel of the track member adjacent the side and across the top of saidroller.

5. A bearing mounting of the character described for a horizontallyslidable drawer comprising an elongated channeled track member providedwith an opening and adapted to be secured to the side wall of a draweropening; a roller carrying member secured to the rear side of the trackmember with the roller disposed through said opening; regulable meanswhereby the lateral relation between the two members may be controlled;and an elongated guide member adapted to be secured to the side wall ofa drawer and formed to slide in the channel of the track member acrossthe top and adjacent the side of said roller.

6. A mounting for horizontally slidable drawers comprising an elongatedtrack member, adapted to be secured to the side wall of a draweropening, provided with an opening and an oil-set stop surface adjacentthe forward end; a roller carrying element secured to the rear side ofsaid member with the roller disposed through said opening; an elongatedguide member adapted to be secured to the side wall of a drawer andformed to slide across the top and adjacent the side of the roller tosupport the drawer and to receive lateral thrusts.

7. A mounting for horizontally slidable drawers comprising an elongatedtrack member, adapted to be secured to the side wall of a draweropening, provided with an opening and an offset stop surface adjacentthe forward end; a roller carrying element secured at the rear side ofsaid member with the roller disposed through said opening; an elongatedguide member adapted to be secured to the side wall of a drawer, formedto slide across the top and adjacent the side of the roller to supportthe drawer; and regulable means whereby the lateral relation between theroller and said guide member may be controlled.

8. A mounting for horizontally slidable drawers comprising a pair ofcomplementary members, one of said members being adapted to be securedto the side wall of a drawer opening while the other member is adaptedto be secured to the side wall of a drawer; the first mentioned memberbeing provided with offset stop surfaces and having an opening adjacentits outer end; a roller mounted at the rear side of the first mentionedmember and disposed through said opening into supporting relation withthe second mentioned member; and means whereby the relation between saidsecond mentioned member and the roller may be controlled.

9. A roller bearing mounting comprising a horizontally disposedchanneled track member adapted to be secured to the side wall of adrawer opening; an elongated plate secured at one end to the channelportion of said track member while the free end is provided with alaterally vertically disposed roller, the roller carrying end beingyieldingly spaced from the track member; a guide element, adapted to besecured to the side wall of a horizontally movable drawer, provided witha laterally disposed shoulder formed to extend between the upper flangeof the track member channel and the top of said roller to preventvertical movement of the drawer and to ride on the roller; andadjustable means whereby lateral thrust bearing relation between theroller and the guide element may be regulated.

10. A roller bearing mounting for horizontally slidable drawerscomprising a horizontally disposed channeled track member adapted to besecured to the side wall of a drawer opening, the base of the channelportion being provided with an opening; a roller carrying member,yieldingly secured to the track member, provided with a roller disposedthrough said opening and rotating about a horizontal axis, the side ofthe roller being adapted to provide a lateral thrust bearing for thedrawer; the sides of the drawer being provided with outwardly disposedshoulders adapted to extend into the channel of the track member and toride on said roller; and regulable means whereby the thrust bearingrelation between the sides of the rollers and the drawer may beregulated.

STANLEY G. WOGULIS.

